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Make a warm, healthy flourless bran mug muffin in 2 minutes, start to finish! Equal parts delicious and nutritious, this muffin for one is also sugar-free, oil-free and loaded with fiber.
(Important Note: this recipe was developed in the very early days of my website, before I made the website all gluten-free. Wheat bran has gluten, so this recipe should not be eaten by those following a gluten-free diet).
Happy Monday, everyone!
Spring break may be over, but spring has sprung here in Texas. With apologies to friends and readers facing snow and sleet on this mid-March day, it is a gorgeous, 74-degree day in these parts.
It translates to lots of outdoor exercise, frolicking, and running after Nick at the park, so I need to get back on track after a week of fun and indulgence with my sister in Florida.
In short, it’s time for another healthy mug recipe!
2 Minute Microwave Bran Muffin
This time it’s a 100% bran muffin (no flour, just über-fiber).
I’m especially excited about this muffin because Kevin tried it, without prompting…and gave it a thumbs up! I believe his precise phrase was “Yeah, that’s pretty good,” which is the equivalent of “freaking brilliant” in Kevin-speak.
Recipe Benefits
This hearty and delicious muffin is all of the following and more:
- Added sugar-free (mix-ins, such as dried fruit, are optional)
- Oil-free
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free; but you can use a regular egg if you do not follow a vegan diet)
- High in fiber (11.7 grams for the muffin)
- Customizable
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- unprocessed wheat bran, (Miller’s bran)
- flaxseed meal
- baking powder
- ground cinnamon
- fine sea salt
- 1 chickpea egg (see below) or regular egg (if not vegan)
- stevia or monkfruit (or sweetener of choice; see notes for options)
- nondairy milk, (e.g., oat milk, soy milk, almond milk; or dairy milk, if not following a vegan diet)
- vanilla extract
- raisins, (see notes for options)
What Is Unprocessed Wheat Bran (Miller’s Bran)?
Unprocessed wheat bran–also called miller’s bran–is the outer layer of the wheat berry that has been separated from the oil-rich germ inside (wheat germ). It is naturally oil-free, low in calories, one of the best sources of dietary fiber, and packed with trace vitamins and minerals, such as niacin and iron.
You can find unprocessed wheat bran in boxes near the flours in the baking section, or in bags in the health food section of the store. It is also available for sale at health food stores and online. It is inexpensive, too, which means the cost of one muffin is a bargain.
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- In a small bowl, whisk the bran, flax seed meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In another small bowl, whisk the egg, sweetener, milk, and vanilla until blended.
- Add the egg mixture and raisins to the bran mixture, stirring until blended.
- Use a nonstick, microwave safe 12 to 14–ounce mug, bowl or ramekin (If not nonstick, lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray). Spoon in batter, smoothing the top.
- Microwave on regular HIGH setting for 1.5 minutes until set at the center.
- Cool at least 5 minutes before eating.
- Eat in the mug, or remove from mug and eat out of hand.
FAQ
- In a small bowl, whisk the bran, flax seed meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In another small bowl, whisk the egg, sweetener, milk, and vanilla until blended.
- Add the egg mixture and raisins to the bran mixture, stirring until blended.
- Use a nonstick, microwave safe 12 to 14–ounce mug, bowl or ramekin (If not nonstick, lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray). Spoon in batter, smoothing the top.
- Microwave on regular HIGH setting for 1-1/2 minutes until set at the center.Cool at least 5 minutes before eating.Eat in the mug, or remove from mug and eat out of hand.
Notes
- What is a chickpea egg? A chickpea egg is vegan alternative to a chicken eggs. It is made by mixing 5 teaspoons chickpea flour with 3 tablespoons lukewarm water until smooth. If you eat eggs, you can also make this recipe with 1 regular egg instead of the chickpea egg.
- Can I make the muffin ahead of time? Yes. The muffin can be made up to 12 hours before eating. Cool completely (in or out of the mug) and store in an airtight container.
- I do not need the recipe to be sugar free. What other sweeteners can I use? If you do not need the muffin to be added sugar-free, you can replace the stevia or monkfruit with 1 to 2 tablespoons of your preferred sweetener (e.g., coconut sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, natural cane sugar, or agave nectar).
- Can I use regular bran cereal in place of miller’s bran? Yes! I use unprocessed wheat bran because it is free of other ingredients, such as white flour and sugar. But if you happen to have All-bran style bran cereal, or bran flakes cereal, you can use it, too. Process the cereal in a food processor until you have 1/3 cup. Most of the ready-to-eat bran cereals have added sugars, so you may want to skip the sweetener in the recipe.
- Do I need to add raisins? No, you can omit the raisins, or replace with an equal amount of
- any other chopped dried fruit (e.g., dried apricots, dried cranberries, dried figs, dates, or dried apples)
- chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- chopped nuts (e.g., walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts)
- chopped seeds (e.g., sunflower seed kernels, pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), hemp hearts)
Be prepared: this humble muffin delivers hours of satisfaction and energy, perfect for plowing through the Monday morning to-do list!
Happy Baking!
Related Recipes
Flourless Bran Mug Muffin (Sugar-free, Oil-free)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unprocessed wheat bran, (Miller's bran)
- 2 teaspoons flax seed meal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch fine sea salt
- 1 chickpea egg (see below) or regular egg (if not vegan)
- 2 packets stevia or monkfruit , (or sweetener of choice; see notes for options)
- 2.5 tablespoons nondairy milk, (e.g., oat milk, soy milk, almond milk; or dairy milk, if not following a vegan diet)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon raisins, (see notes for options)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the bran, flax seed meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In another small bowl, whisk the egg, sweetener, milk, and vanilla until blended.
- Add the egg mixture and raisins to the bran mixture, stirring until blended.
- Use a nonstick, microwave safe 12 to 14–ounce mug, bowl or ramekin (If not nonstick, lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray). Spoon in batter, smoothing the top.
- Microwave on regular HIGH setting for 1-1/2 minutes until set at the center.Cool at least 5 minutes before eating.Eat in the mug, or remove from mug and eat out of hand.
Notes
- any other chopped dried fruit (e.g., dried apricots, dried cranberries, dried figs, dates, or dried apples)
- chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- chopped nuts (e.g., walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts)
- chopped seeds (e.g., sunflower seed kernels, pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), hemp hearts)
Camilla you’re a star! Such a great recipe – even though we’re all twelvish years older than when you first posted this : ( We all need more fibre, less sugar and less fat/oil in our diets. Thank you for a great recipe. Angela Xx
So glad you like it, Angela! 😍
Awsome!!! Just like my old time Bran muffins without the bad stuff!!!
So easy, so quick, so good!
Thank you!
Wonderful, Eileen! So glad you like the recipe 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe! I made this muffin yesterday afternoon, when I had a craving for a healthy snack to have with some coffee. It was honestly amazing. I can’t believe you packed in all of those healthy ingredients AND with so much protein (with not a granule of protein powder in sight!). I will experiment today by adding a small bit of avocado oil to the batter, to see what that does to the crumb. Humble thanks again!
Humble thanks right back, Maia, for such a lovely review 🙂
Fantastic recipe two questions please, can these be frozen?
Any plans to do your recipes in grams as well as cups? I’m in the uk and find it tricky to convert x
Hi Hells,
Yes, I am sure this can be frozen. Wrap in an ait=ritght container and freeze for up to six months.
Working on converting all of my recipes to a new recipe card format with metric options built in. Should be complete in next couple of weeks!
OMG…these are so good! It’s great exactly as written or with any number of tweaks. I generally substitute non-fat greek yogurt (unsweetened or flavored sugar free) for 2T of the milk and 1/2 T unsweetened Ripple or unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk. For the raisins I add whatever fresh or frozen fruit I have on hand, i.e. pears, apples, peaches, etc. that I’ve chopped into pieces about the size of a raisin or blueberry. The protein in the yogurt ensures that I’m not hungry until lunchtime.
I am so glad that this muffin recipe fits the bill, Kathi! Ooh, I love thinking of all of the add-ins you have come up with, yum! And the yogurt sub, that is great. Cheers!
This just blew my mind! I was hopeful but thought it would be too good to be true but it came out perfect! Exactly what I wanted! High good stuff, low bad stuff. Thank you!
Wow, Laurie, that’s wonderful! So glad it ticked all the boxes 🙂
This is an easy and delicious way to stick to my new year resolutions, thanks!
I forgot to add the milk….ugh….haha
Oh no! If it makes you feel better, I (and probably every other baker!) have sent something to the oven (regular or microwave) only to remember later that something was left out 🙂
I always wanted to try one of these did it for the first time today Thanks for your input I might add some honey next time Just for kicks.
Excellent, Richard!
How much wheat bran do you use?
Apologies for that, it seems to have been deleted. It is 1/3 cup, I have added it back in. Thanks for letting me know, Ashley!
Added pumpkin purée instead of milk and blueberries instead of raisins. Top with laughing cow. Oh sooooo good
Just tried it. Came out great. I didn’t even use a second cup. I just buttered the dry ingredient cup before I added the ingredients. Delish! Thanks.
I like it. I Needed something quick to get my fiber without sugar and flour. I may try more milk next time as it was a little dry or maybe less cooking time!?
My husband and I absolutely love these! S easy to make and we add all kinds of different addins. Thank you for this easy healthy quick recipe!
Fabulous recipe that was easy enough for my young son to make. We chose to add fresh blueberries instead of raisins and it worked out beautifully. Thanks for sharing!
I was looking for a no-flour raw wheat bran muffin or cookie recipe – found yours on a Google search and got right up to try it. A couple tweaks for me – I didn’t have any flax meal open so just used hemp hearts instead; instead of the sweetener packets and milk, I used 2.5 tablespoons of sugarfree DaVinci plain syrup; and being on Atkins induction right now, I simply omitted the raisins (may use some dried cherries, snipped into quarters, or some dried cranberries eventually though!) – this was excellent and exactly what I had hoped for!
I will experiment with some different DaVinci flavors and see how they turn out.
A schmear of butter on each half (DH and I split this one) was perfect – may also try our homemade SF jams in the future. YUM and many thanks!
You are so welcome, CeeCee! Your variation sounds great!
Looks great! f i were to bake it rather than microwave, what temperature and how long should i put it in for?
Also, how is the texture like? Light i would imagine? Since wheat bran is…well.. light.
I would do 375F, Sam and check after 12 to 15 minutes. 🙂
Hi, can this be made using water instead of milk? I imagine it wouldn’t taste as good, but would it rise and still work? Orrr- could I use a bit of cream cheese instead of milk? Can you tell it’s been too long since we’ve gone to the store?- getting down to the dregs! lol
What the hey, I guess I’ll try and see!
I am sure that would work with the water, Janey. Cream cheese I am not sure about, but worth a shot 🙂
Looks yummy! Would love to try it but can’t eat wheat. Have you ever tried a gluten-free version using oat bran?
Hi Elysia! I have two recipes, an all-flax and an all oat bran muffin. Just enter in site search 🙂
This was amazing, I have made it multiple days in a row!!!
hope you like it, Lisa!